True Colors
by CaptainTinyDragon
Summary: After forty years of self-imposed isolation the kingdom of Midgar is seeking to rejoin the nations of Remnant. A new era of peace and prosperity could be beginning or is it an omen of coming darkness?
1. Chapter 1

_It's only been a year since then but it feels like a lifetime. Remember how happy we all were when we started Beacon? It was all so new, almost like a brand new life, even if some of us were acting cold and distant. You were so nervous at first but just like I knew you would, you found your place and became so happy..._

_It's quiet without you here and it hurts us to even think of trying to move on. How can we continue without you?_

* * *

Cloud stepped off the transport bullhead with his duffle bag in hand and his sword carefully wrapped and slung on his back. The majesty of Beacon Academy was truly breathtaking. He could not stop himself from staring in awe at the truly wonderful sights. Vale was already high above Nibleheim in basic life quality but Beacon stood high above the city. Both figuratively and literally. Even though he had only just barely passed the minimum requirements to attend this prestigious school, he was going to work his ass off. He had to if he wanted to be like his hero, the living legend-

Cloud's internal rambling was cut off by a small girl with a very large shuriken shoving past him hard to get to the closest garbage bin and promptly vomit. The first thought through Cloud's mind was pity for whoever was teamed up with someone who got airsick. Having had enough of gawking at the sights Cloud adjusted his sword and started walking up towards the school, his home for the next four years. He did his best to avoid making any contact with other students choosing to walk up to the main hall as quickly as possible. Ghosts of regret were digging into his mind as he pushed through the crowd and began to feel like he was drowning; he was not ready for city life after growing up in Nibelheim.

"Cloud!" He heard a girl's voice call out.

He turned to see a brunette girl in a white tank top and a black skirt running towards him. Just before she stopped and threw her arms around him he realized who it was. It had been years since he had seen her and his childhood friend had really grown; and not just vertically. Cloud knew he had a blush growing on his face from feeling the pressure on his chest. Thankfully Tifa pulled away after a moment and gave him a smile. The blond had to fight every teenage boy instinct to keep his eyes on hers and not look down at Tifa's chest.

"It's so go to see you! I'm so happy you got into Beacon too!" Tifa said cheerfully, nearly squealing with delight at seeing her oldest friend again.

"Y-yeah. Good to see you too, Tifa." Cloud stammered as his gaze drifted away. He was glad to see her but it really knocked him off balance. Not to mention she was gorgeous now and he's not exactly an expert at talking to girls.

"Oh, sorry. I forgot you're not big on the physical contact thing." Tifa apologized nervously "So how did your mom handle it?" Tifa asked without looking to her friend "You getting into Beacon I mean." She felt she had to clarify because she knew what was bundled up on Cloud's back and he had a habit of dwelling on where it came from, though he had skill with the weapon.

"She was very happy. But she cried and told me to call often." Cloud answered almost robotically. He made a silent curse at his anxiety. "Did you um, come here with Master Zangan?"

"Mhm. Said one of the teachers here is an old friend of his." Tifa was cheerful and she had every right to be. He had seen her train and was honestly terrified of the strength her beautiful body hid, a real sleeping dragon all thanks to her mentor. Zangan, though quite old, was the third highest ranked Hunter in all of Midgar and only took Tifa on as a student due to some distant family relation between them.

All of Nibleheim had been over the moon that Tifa was accepted to be one of the first Huntresses in training to be able to leave Midgar in forty years and to attend Beacon no less. They had decorated the center of the village and celebrated the announcement long into the night. On the flip side the town was not as happy about Cloud being accepted. Strife had been a burden of a name because of his father but that did not matter here at Beacon Academy. A fresh start to a promising future almost untouched by his past. But with his old friend standing in front of him, he was at a loss of what to do or say.

"We should get inside." He said quietly and Tifa nodded her agreement, Cloud ignoring the fact Tifa had no bags with her.

**Far above the main hall…**

"So why the sudden shift in diplomatic stance?" Ozpin asked the stranger from Midgar lands keeping a close eye on the man's gaze, which in turn was carefully regarding Ozpin.

"I have already told you why." The tall Midgar faunus reply.

"You have told me why the kingdom wanted to open the borders. Not why Shinra only now admits Midgar needs the support of the other four kingdoms." Oz watched the general give a remarkable lack of emotional response.

"President Shinra believes now that Midgar is able to stand on its own we do not need to worry about Mantle initiating a hostile takeover." The general of the Midgar military stated. It was too much of a plain statement to Ozpin.

"I take it that line of thinking is from a relatively new member of the Midgar council?" The general nodded to Ozpin. Ozpin was intentionally using forty year old information, just as he assumed the Midgar man was. "And you do not need to worry about Mantle waging war with Midgar. Due to a rather recent event, Mantle is now known as Atlas and is a very close ally. In fact, all four kingdoms are very closely allied, working collectively towards a better future. "

"Some would say peace is just a facade waiting to be removed."

"Indeed. And you, general. Why is your presence part of the conditions?"

"I personally wish to confirm the state of Vale and if Midgar will be welcome at the Vytal Festival. Merely accepting students from around Midgar lands will convince us you're friendly," the general said meaning Ozpin himself "But not if the kingdom is secure or willing to accept us. I mean no offence but I do hope you understand why Shinra wishes to take these precautions."

"I do, General." Ozpin reply with a nod "Forty years is a long time to be isolated and I am honored to accept students from Midgar." he needlessly adjusted his glasses "And honestly I am surprised Shinra was able to persuade the council of Vale." The headmaster of Beacon had a feeling it was something deeper and more sinister than merely well picked words that got Vale to be the host of the nation.

"As am I. Though I've never had the talent to navigate the political minefield and am more than willing to leave those with the skills for it to the talking." The faunus annoyed Ozpin, though he would never let that show, by being entirely unreadable. Even more stone faced than Ironwood.

A light ping noise interrupted them and had Ozpin checking the time on his scroll then looking back to the silver haired faunus "I apologize but I must get moving for the orientation. You are welcome to attend as well."

"Gladly."

**In the main Hall…**

The students from Midgar were beyond speechless to see the top ranked Huntsman from their kingdom on stage with headmaster Ozpin. It stemmed from the living legend almost never being seen in public unless on a mission and having numerous stunning accolades to his name. Cloud very nearly could not believe the people of Vale had no idea who the silver haired faunus on stage was but the little voice in the back of his head reminded him of the forty year isolation of Midgar. It was only two months ago that Shinra announced the plans to revive the CCT within the unfinished sector of Midgar. But here and now were the main focus to Cloud and he pulled himself out of his musings as Ozpin finished speaking and handed the stage to a blonde woman.

"I am Professor Glynda Goodwitch and I would like to introduce General Sephiroth of Midgar." she said calmly with a hint of sternness "Now as I'm sure you know, we have students from the long isolated kingdom of Midgar with us. It should go without saying that we expect you to welcome them and treat them as equals." The speech went on for a few more minutes longer than Cloud would have liked. He felt all they were doing was putting more pressure on the few from Midgar. Thankfully they were finally dismissed and told to be at the ballroom by nine pm.

As Cloud and Tifa turned to leave the main hall Tifa bumped into a smaller girl who turned and decided to speak rather loudly "Hey! Watch where you're swinging those things." She said with a malicious smirk, clearly meaning Tifa's chest.

Tifa had been about to apologize but scowled and retorted with "Aren't you the girl that puked on the bullhead?" The martial artist crossed her arms under her ample bust "Twice." Cloud was dumbstruck by Tifa's venom. Last he knew she was nice and polite to a fault.

"There is nothing wrong with airsickness!" The smaller girl with black hair and the huge shuriken retorted "It's perfectly normal." she then spun on her heel and stormed off.

Cloud felt the hairs on his neck stand up and turned to face the one watching him. He spotted a girl with black hair, with red highlights, in a black and red outfit next to a tall blonde girl with hair long enough to rival Sephiroth, and a blond boy with some armor and a sheathed sword. The blonde girl said something with a smile and punched the blond boy in the arm, something that made the blond boy facepalm in embarrassment. Just as he turned to leave Tifa saw who he looked at and gave a friendly wave, proceeding to grab his arm and basically drag him over to the trio. Cloud tried to break free but Tifa's grip was stronger than steel.

"Hello!" Tifa called out to the trio "I'm Tifa Lockhart and this is Cloud Strife."

"Hey there. I'm Yang and this is my sister Ruby." The blonde girl reply, giving the girl beside her a nudge with her elbow.

"Hey." Cloud said quietly and awkwardly. Ruby looked between him and the other blond boy.

"Jaune Arc." The boy said as he held out his hand to shake, Cloud accepted the gesture.

"So what do you fight with?" Yang asked the brunette. Tifa raised her arm to the side and flexed.

"Just the hands and these guns." The martial artist said with a smile. Yang's face lit up.

"Nice! Always awesome to meet another fist fighter!" Yang nearly cheered as she reached out to squeeze Tifa's bicep "Nice solid guns to go with your cannons." The blonde nodded approvingly.

The brunette looked confused for a moment "My can-" and immediately from confused to halfway between angry and embarrassed. Yang laughed. Cloud and Jaune shared a confused look.

"You two look like brothers." Ruby said and dropped her gaze to her boots when Jaune and Cloud looked at her "You know. Just a bit. Thought it was funny." She got quieter with each broken sentence.

"Yeah… I guess kinda…" Cloud reluctantly said as his hand subconsciously moved to scratch the back of his neck.

"I wish." Jaune breathed "I have seven sisters so having a brother would have been great. Think dad would say so too."

As awkward as it was, Cloud was glad to have somebody to talk to. He wished he could talk to Yang or Ruby too but just knew there was no way he could yet. Still just an awkward kid around girls and really hoping that would improve soon. A part of him was saying he had to ease into it and train the skill like any other. Probably the memory of his mother saying that time and again.

"Yeah. Tifa and me are the only kids in our families."

"But we're like brother and sister." Tifa added, trying to get Yang to stop talking for a moment.

"Where are you from?" Ruby asked with excessive annunciation, like she had to carefully select and pronounce each word. Cloud understood exactly what that was like. It was rather endearing to meet someone on his level of social awkwardness.

"Nibelheim." He answer without thinking "It's, uh, a village to the west of Midgar."

"Oh wow. Really far from home." Jaune said.

"Well I hope you make it through initiation." Yang said with a smile but saw the question looks from the foreigners "Not everyone that applies to Beacon gets in, y'know. So I hope you Midgar people are as strong as the rest of us."

"Tifa is." Cloud remarked to himself, momentarily forgetting he was around people.

"You'll do great!" Ruby cheered "You and Jaune!"

"Thanks." Both blond boys said.

"So know any good places to eat? I'm starving." Tifa asked.

As the five left the school proper they passed by a black haired girl with an amber gaze and a large bow sitting atop her head leaning against a tree. The group nor the girl paid each other any mind, no more than a brief moment of silver eyes meeting the amber. Blake would often be sitting and reading but opted to try and spot the students from Midgar, admitting she had no idea how they might stand out. Her sharp hearing caught a rustling of cloth from above her and she tracked the sound, discovering a male faunus up in the branches. His lion-like orange tail gently swaying in the air before it curled as he stretched and rolled off the branch, landing on his feet next to her.

"Oh, apologies for nearly hitting you." He said right away.

"It's fine. I knew you wouldn't." Blake remarked with no attachment to her words. She looked him over noting his messy hair with a couple of feathered hairpins, his ochre colored left eye and the closed and scarred right eye, the tattoos on his left shoulder one looking like a stylized XIII and the other a foreign design, the orange colored male halter top and matching pants, gold bangles on his wrists and ankles over elbow length fingerless orange cloth gloves and ankle high sandals. The boy made Blake think of desert tribesmen from a couple of books she has read.

"Nanaki Seto," the boy said while holding out his hand to shake, his tone gentle and polite "Of Cosmo Canyon. I do apologize for not looking before I jumped down."

Blake cautiously shook his offered hand "It's fine, seriously. Blake." He seemed nice enough but so did Adam at first "Cosmo Canyon? Is that in Vacuo?"

"Midgar." He smiled "Are you a student here?"

"Not yet." She reply tersely.

"I wish you the best of luck, Blake." He took a couple steps back to show he was leaving "Maybe we'll see each other in class."

**Later that evening...**

It was strange to be bedding down in the ballroom of Beacon with so many others. Almost felt like a camping trip that Cloud had never been able to experience. He lay his wrapped sword down first and unrolled his sleeping bag on top of it. Tifa, wearing pajama pants and a loose tee shirt, dropped her duffle next to him and lay down on the bare floor, resting her head on the stuffed bag. The blond wanted to question her but assumed she knew what she was doing. Undoubtedly, she was much more comfortable in harsh conditions than he would be. Possibly it would always be that way.

Some yelling caught their attention and they looked over to see a white haired girl yelling at Ruby. The brunette martial artist sat up, ready to march over to her defence and Cloud sat down on his sleeping bag and watched the exchange. After listening to the white haired girl for a bit Cloud had formed the opinion that she was control freak and began to feel the fine hairs on his neck rising. He turned his head to look over his shoulder and was unsurprised to see a handful of guys looking in his direction instead of towards the ruckus. Tifa was definitely a head turner. He was not sure if he should or even wanted to take the chance to be more than just an old friend to Tifa. He shook his head and slipped into the sleeping bag on his sword, burying his thoughts and focusing on getting some sleep.

Up on the roof of Beacon Academy General Sephiroth stood staring out onto Vale, lost in his own thoughts. When he had departed Midgar, the kingdom had not been in the most peaceful situation. He had left his loyal and trusted second and third in command to oversee things, praying they could deal with the situation. He pulled his phone, a rather ancient device compared to the scrolls the other kingdoms had, from his pocket to check the time and if he had messages. Nine thirty PM and no messages. The door to the roof opened and two male voices, in a discussion about ancient Grimm, washed over him and by their voices he could tell they were not students.

"Oh, General Sephiroth. I see you found the best place to think." One voice spoke very rapidly, cutting off the other.

Opting to be polite to his hosts, he turned to greet them with a nod. One man had messy green hair, an equally disheveled white dress shirt, black dress pants, and thick glasses. The other was a man past his prime, as made obvious by his grey hair and round belly, that was dressed quite sharply in a red jacket with yellow hems and gold buttons.

"Doctor Bartholomew Oobleck." The fast talking disheveled one introduced himself.

"Peter Port." the rotund and much older man followed.

"How does it feel to be the first Midgar official to be in another kingdom in forty years?" Oobleck quickly pressed.

"Not the first time I've been an ambassador for Midgar." Sephiroth answered without attaching any emotion. Though he could see a flash of confusion in the eyes of the other men "Midgar had been trying to make an alliance with a small kingdom that shares our continent, Wutai." He did not blame them for not knowing. Wutai had been on the western side of the continent and had been so secluded and independent that Shinra had only discovered them twenty years ago.

"Fascinating!" Oobleck announced "So there has been two kingdoms on Gaia for all these years. But I've never heard of Wutai. Do you know anything about that kingdom?" While the doctor spoke a mile a minute, Peter calmly lifted the pipe he had been carrying and lit it, taking a puff. The acrid scent made Sephiroth wrinkle his nose.

"All I know is they've been secluded since ancient times and their government is a hierarchy."

"A hierarchy?" The doctor asked no one specifically, no small amount of concern in his voice "How have they survived this long?" His enthusiasm and energy seemed to be boundless "General may I-" and he was suddenly far too close to Sephiroth for his liking, causing the silver haired man to slide his foot back and move his hands into a ready stance "Oh goodness, my apologies." The much too fast doctor apologized as he retreat.

Sephiroth nodded and returned to his neutral stance "I am not accustomed to friendlies rushing me." Both beacon teachers noted his use of tactical jargon. Not even their other General friend used such language in friendly chat.

"If I may," Oobleck started much calmer than before "Are you a faunus, General?" He was only asking because he had noticed the slight points at the top and bottom of the foreign General's pupils. And the way they expanded far beyond a human's when he purposely invaded the man's personal space. If it had been light out, there would have been no need for the question.

"Is that important?" Once again, Sephiroth attached no emotion to his words.

"To the faculty of Beacon, not at all. But others may not be as welcoming." Port spoke up, finally. Giving Oobleck a chance to dig a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket, borrowing Port's lighter.

"I was made aware of the rampant racism in the other kingdoms."

"You make it sound like Midgar doesn't have any human-faunus issues." Port was baiting him into speaking more, it was obvious to Sephiroth but he decided to take the bait regardless.

"There are bigger issues to focus on in Midgar." He bit off the statement, making it clear he no longer wanted to talk about Midgar.

"Yes, bigger and better things that deserve attention. Like the new students." Port relented, knowing better than to push the stranger "Any of the students from Midgar that you're hoping for, General?"

Sephiroth had to think about that. He had read over the profiles of each student given permission to leave Midgar to attempt to attend Beacon, each one of the twenty four terribly similar ten page reports. Twenty four teenagers out of the hundreds that had applied, all but a handful were among the top ten percent in terms of ability or knowledge. While some were remarkable and others remarkably under qualified, he had not placed any amount of hope in any of them. He knew exactly which ones were going to fail and expected others to but if he must consider the possibility of any of them successfully passing the test to attend Beacon it would have to be Zangan's student. If the reports were to be believed, the girl was far from being the best academic but had the potential to one day become an equal to the current headmaster of Midgar's own Huntsmen Academy, Bifrost.

"None of them have garnered my personal attention." The silver haired General reply "If any Midgar student stands a chance, it would be Tifa Lockhart."

"Sounds like you don't have confidence in your students." Port very nearly teased.

"I am the General and emissary of Midgar. I am not a teacher nor do I have any personal or professional investment in these students." Sephiroth stated "I lack the required information to make any kind of educated estimation of which students may succeed."

"Spoken like a true commander. Seeing the world in black and white and always following logic." Oobleck rambled.

The three conversed for another hour on the rooftop before calling it a night. The conversation meandered around the present situation of Beacon, wandered through ancient history for a brief time, and deeply analyzed the local Grimm varieties. Overall, Sephiroth enjoyed having an intelligent conversation with the two veteran hunters. On his way to his room, somewhere in the back of his mind, he found a small hope that he would not be called back to Midgar for at least two weeks. He could delay it since it was his job to verify the security of Vale for Shinra but if he was needed, they would send his second in command or possibly his third to replace him. As he lay on the bed waiting for sleep, he thought about the student profiles again and what might happen if none of them made it into this prestigious Academy. Would Shinra decide to take everyone back and close the borders? Would they be sent to the other Hunter Academies? But most importantly, would it affect his reputation in any way?

* * *

**Hello everyone! I've had this idea in my head for a long time and decided to finally write it down. Let me know how my first attempt at actual fanfiction is going. But now the questions! Will I keep them the same? Will I keep the duo's the same? Stay tuned and find out!**


	2. Chapter 2

_We were all so nervous on initiation day, even if we didn't show it. I was determined to succeed and make it into Beacon but I was nervous for you and our friends. Seems so silly now to even think you wouldn't get on a team or help us all become better people. Why did things have to go so wrong during our time?_

* * *

It was finally here, initiation day. Cloud was breathing deeply in an effort to keep his anxiety at bay. It was relatively easier with the fact that Tifa had woken up and left the ballroom before he awoke. There had been an announcement for everyone to prepare their equipment and check their scrolls. On his scroll, given to him by the Shinra staff before he got on the bullhead for Beacon, was a message telling him to be at the cliffs overlooking the Emerald Forest at two o'clock.

With a heavy breath the boy with blonde spiky hair removed the travel wrap from his father's- no, _his _sword. First Tsurugi, the gargantuan fusion blade made of six individual swords. Cloud had made a promise to his mom to make her proud, to make sure that at the very least, this weapon would become just as respected as the famous Buster Sword, the sword carried by the recently promoted headmaster of Bifrost, Angeal Hewley.

But now finished thinking about the past, Cloud stood up and slipped his weapon over his shoulder so it attached to the magnets of his harness for the weapon. He packed up his things into his duffle bag and dropped the bundle near the wall where other bags had been piled. Choosing to take a break from meeting people and wanting to avoid more conversation with those he met, Cloud began exploring the grounds of Beacon. Eventually he got tired of walking around and checked the time on his scroll and heaved a sigh when he saw he still had three hours until he had to be at the cliffs. He sought out a quiet place to sit which was thankfully easy to find because the returning students of Beacon would be arriving tomorrow. Cloud rested his head on his crossed arms and tried to think about how to talk to Tifa.

It had been years since she saw him but he had seen her in Nibelheim. Every time he returned home for holidays he would sneak into town during the dead of night to save himself and his mother the hassle. During the days he would see Tifa moving around the town, meeting the other folk, and training. Cloud did not want to risk damaging her reputation through association so he remain in his mother's house for most of his visits, only leaving during the night.

But that was then and now he had to focus on the present, focus on making it into Beacon. When the time came to meet at the cliffs he was a few minutes early but far from the first one there. He saw Tifa standing with Yang and Ruby then chose to move away, passing by Glynda and Ozpin as the two professors made their way to the edge of the cliffs.

"Students!" Glynda called out right after the time ticked over to 2 PM "Please stand on the platforms. One per platform." As everyone took their places, some just now arriving and taking their places, Jaune among the late comers "Headmaster Ozpin has some words before we begin."

"For years you have trained to become warriors and today, your abilities will be evaluated in the Emerald Forest." the elder man said plainly while holding his mug.

"Now," Glynda began "I'm sure many of you have heard rumours about the assignment of teams. Well, allow us to put an end to your confusion. Each of you will be given teammates… Today."

"These teammates will be with you for the rest of your time here at Beacon." Ozpin then continued. It was obvious to everyone present that this was a well rehearsed cooperative speech likely made every year "So it is in your best interest to be paired with someone with whom you can work well. That being said," Cloud swore he heard some amusement in Ozpin's voice "The first person you make eye contact with after landing will be your partner for the next four years."

After a moment of silence there was a sharp "What!?" from down the line. It was Ruby.

Then another girl could be heard saying "See! I told you!"

Ozpin continued after silence fell "After you've partnered up, make your way to the northern end of the forest. You will meet opposition along the way. Do not hesitate to destroy everything in your path, or you will die." that was no new sentiment to the students, everyone knew wild lands meant grim "You will be monitored and graded for the duration of your initiation. But our instructors will not intervene. You will find an abandoned temple at the end of the path containing several relics. Each pair must choose one, and return to the top of the cliff. We will regard that item, as well as your standing, and grade you appropriately. Are there any questions?"

It all seemed simple enough to Cloud. Get through the forest, kill any grimm, find the temple, grab something, return. Though there was one question going through his mind, Ozpin had mention landing. Were they going to be airdropped?

"Yeah, um, sir-" he heard Jaune begin to speak.

"Good!" Ozpin said to cut him off "Now, take your positions."

Cloud glanced over at the mention of positions. What did Ozpin mean by positions? Did he mean they would be leaping from the cliff? Perhaps leaping into an airship as it passed by? Aerial activity was not something Cloud was good at. But his train of thought was cut off by the platform he was on suddenly lurching and then sending him high into the air above the forest. It was the first time Cloud felt any kind of regret over coming to Beacon.

* * *

The emerald forest of Vale had an amazing natural beauty to it. If not for the immediate threat of grimm potentially being behind every tree, it would be a lovely place to spend time wandering and meditating. But it was no time for gawking or training, there is a mission to be completed to prove himself to Beacon. To his home Cosmo Canyon. To prove himself better than his cowardly father.

Nanaki Seto stalked through the forest with feline grace listening intently to his surroundings. He checked his hairpin for the hundredth time to make sure it was still there and filled with dust. Unexpected crashing above him caused a quick retreat behind a tree to observe and he was fortunate to witness a beowolf break through the canopy to the forest floor. It tried to stand up, clearly near death but it was foiled by a very large hammer slamming into its back, wielded by a small lady in pink.

"That's what you get mister big bad wolf!" The girl cheered then quickly looked straight at Nanaki. He was amazed that she even knew he was there "You're not Ren!" She called out.

"No I am not," Nanaki said as he stepped into full view, hands held up in mock surrender "Nanaki of Cosmo Canyon."

"Nora Valkyrie! Hammer maiden!" She proudly introduced while swinging her massive weapon with ease "And looks like we're partners! So let's get moving!" She commanded then took off running to the north. Nanaki actually had to run to catch up.

* * *

Cloud had been charging north through the forest for a long time now. He had no idea how much time had passed but it felt like hours. But pacing had been slowing him down, he had to be sure to not burn out before meeting any threats. So far he had not met any grimm but it was only a matter of time. He also had not met anyone else and was beginning to fear he would be partnered with Tifa, forced to be stuck in the past. As much as he cared for her and was attracted to her for being so strong, he had been trying to move away from Nibelheim entirely.

Thankfully a gunshot ringing out caught his attention. He leaned into a full sprint towards the sound, drawing his sword mid step. As he rounded a tree a pack of beowolves met his sight. Both hands on the hilt of First Tsurugi, he leapt and swung horizontally cleaving one in half. He anchored his feet as he landed and swung at another grimm wolf, the beast blocked but the force of the swing from the weight of the weapon broke the beast's arms and knocked it down. Cloud never gave it a chance, First Tsurugi came crashing down on the beowolf's chest to end the beast. Gunshots rang out near him, beowolves were cleaved and broken, and Cloud felt great to be fighting. Only once the beowolves were all dissolved did Cloud return his sword to his back. He turned to see who he had helped and froze.

"Thanks for the save, Spikey," Yang said with a smile "Not that I needed it but still, thanks dude."

"Uh, yeah. No problem," Cloud barely managed to stammer out "We should uh, get moving," he is really hoping that at some point he learns how to actually talk to girls. Maybe having Yang as a partner will help.

Yang laughed to herself over Cloud's fluster "Lead the way, Spikey. Just make sure to keep your head out of the clouds."

Cloud groaned.

* * *

Lie Ren, or just Ren, chose to take a break after that encounter with a King Taijitu. He knew they had been reported in the Emerald Forest but it was a rare sight. While all grimm are dangerous, the twin headed snake was higher on the threat list. He paused near a tree to catch his breath and let his aura recover some.

"This is what you guys call dust?" An unfamiliar girl said from above him.

Ren looked up and saw a girl sitting cross legged on the underside of a branch above him examining one of the magazines for his pistols "Interesting semblance. May I have that back?" The girl tossed the magazine back to Ren "Thank you."

"You're a real gentleman," the girl commented while standing up on the branch, still upside down. She then walked down the trunk to the ground, easily stepping into it and reorienting without issue "Kisaragi Yuffie of Wutai. Here to show those Shinra punks who the best is."

"Lie Ren," he reply simply.

"Nice to meet you. Now, we have relics to steal!" Yuffie announced then ran off ahead. Ren chuckled and followed, hoping Nora would find someone capable of handling her energy.

* * *

"Hey, thanks for your help," Tifa said with a smile as two ursa dissolved nearby.

She had not been in danger when she stepped into the small clearing the two beasts had been laying in but she would have taken a hit or two. Nonetheless, she was still grateful that the girl in black and white with amber eyes had helped her kill the ursa.

"You're welcome. I'm Blake, by the way."

"Tifa," She reply with a nod "Looks like we're gonna be partners."

"Yeah," Blake reply "We should hurry to get a relic so we pass this exam."

"Right, right."

The two set off to the north, walking in silence for several minutes until Blake spoke up "You're from Midgar, right?"

"Yep. Well, a village on the outskirts," Tifa answered and Blake just nodded "You?"

"South of Mistral. A little nowhere town."

"Well it's good we have something in common," Tifa said with a smile. She was glad to know Blake was not as standoffish as she seemed before.

* * *

"First it's those damn kids, now it's a specific container from dozens. Did they forget I'm not some errand boy they can order around for pocket money?" A redhead man with a cane and cigar grumbled as the container stamped with the Schnee Dust Company logo was brought into his warehouse.

His gaze wandered over his men and the White Fang soldiers moving around to get the container in place. He smirked to himself as he tap the ash off his cigar, humans and faunus working together for the common goal of causing chaos. Nothing like a common enemy to unite everyone.

"Alright, that's good!" He called out "Let's see what was so damn important about this one!" He shouted to urge a couple people to open the container.

The lock was quickly cut and the doors unlatched. As they swung open Roman was met with the sight of two glowing yellow eyes surrounded by glowing blue lines staring at him. The criminal cocked a brow and waited for the owner of the eyes to step into the light. The figure stepped into the light of the warehouse and before this moment the White Fang soldier with the chainsaw had been the largest person Roman had met. Before him was a man easily ten feet tall with long messy blue hair with arms as thick as tree trunks, wearing a dark grey tank top, grey slacks, and grey gloves with steel plated knuckles.

"Did not think I was gonna get an action figure out of this box," Roman chuckled. The absolute beast of a man gave a smirk and chuckle.

From behind the giant stepped out a girl slightly smaller than Roman's right hand woman, which amazed the man. The girl was a redhead like himself, though a few shades darker, with orange eyes and a mostly dark blue sleeveless catsuit with what looks like armour across the bust. She had two weapons joined by a cable holstered on the back of her legs.

"Roman Torchwick," the girl said mechanically "There is valuable equipment to be set up."

Roman rolled his eyes "Sure thing boss."

* * *

**So sorry for how long this took. I normally write while travelling, i used to be on the bus/ train a lot. And then one of my friends was like "Hey, did you know about the other FF7 stuff?" So then i started researching and well, now we're here. **

**Also, thank you everyone for your reviews! I promise to personally respond to them in the future.**

**Please leave a Review you awesome people!**


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